Car-coupling



No. 699,965. Patented Aug. 9, |999. A. L. HUMPHREY.

CAR CUUPLING.

(Application filed Nov. 16, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,965, dated August 9, 1898.

Application filed November 16, 1897. Serial No. 658,694. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ARTHUR L. HUMPHREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Colorado City, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction oi car-couplings and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and eiiicient one capable of supporting a link in position for guiding it into the mouth of the drawu head and of coupling automatically and adapted to be readily uncoupled without goingbetween cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a draw-head capable of coupling with the ordinary pin-and-link car-coupling and Vadapted to be readily coupled and uncoupled on the heaviest curvature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pivoted gravity-catch which cannot creep up and release the link and which will be unaffected in its engagement with the link by the severest jar or continuous jerking, and also to relieve the pivot of the catch of strain.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of two car-couplings constructed in accordance with this invention and shown coupled. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same, one of the catches being lifted by the link preparatory to coupling. Fig. Sis a front elevation of one of the draw-heads. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the catch.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw` ings.

1 designates a draw-head having a Haring mouth and provided with a longitudinal linkopening for the reception of an ordinary link 2, which is engaged by a gravity-catch 3, which is pivotally mounted in a longitudinal slot 4 of the top of the drawhead on a trans verse pin 5, which passes through the drawhead near the front end of the slot 4. The

draw-head is provided at the frontend of the slot 4 with a curved recess 6, forming a seat for the eye 7 of the catch, and the opening of the eye 7 of the catch is sufficiently larger than the transverse pin 5 to permit the upper front portion of the catch, which is rounded at 8, to bear against the curved wall of the recess 6 to relieve the pivot-pin of strain and cause the latter to be borne by the draw-head. At the back portion of the longitudinal slot 4 the draw-head is provided with a vertical fiange 9, extending around the back and sides of the slot and forming a continuation of the rear Wall of the same to provide an increased bearing-surface for the rear end of the catch. The side portions 10,01 the iiange 9 are tapering and serve to support the same.

The front edge 11 of the catch is inclined andpis adapted to be engaged bya link to enable the same to lift the catch and couple automatically, and the said catch is slightly curved at the back or rear edge 12 of the en` gaging point, which is out of contact with the bottom of the draw-head, being located slightly above the same in order to cause the catch to be supported at its front and back by the draw-head. The catch is normally disposed at a slight inclination or obliquely and is provided With a straight vertical rear edge 18, which bears against the extended rear wall of the slot, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and the strain exerted by the link on the lower engaging point of the catch operates to hold Vthe salme against the curved wall at the front of the slot 4 and the straight wall at the back of the same. The curved wall formed by the recess 6 extends over the eye ofthe catch and terminates directly above the transverse pin, which is entirely relieved of strain,

The lower edge 14 of the catch, between the point and the Vertical rear edge 13, is convexly curved and forms a swell that is adapted to prevent the adjacent end of the link .from rising out of engagement with a shoulder or rib 15 of the bottom of the draW-head,whereby the link is maintained in substantially a hori zontal position for guiding it into the mouth of another-draW-head. The rib 15, which extends transversely of the bottom of the drawhead, has a concavely-curved front edge or face which conforms to the configuration of IOO the ends of the link and provides a scat for the same.

The rear portion of the catch is extended above the upper face of the draw-head and has sufficient weight to fall positively and quickly as soon as the link in entering the draw-head passes the engaging point of the catch, and the weight of the rear portion of the latter also absolutely prevents any liability of the link becoming accidentally released by the catch through the severest jars and continuous jerking incident to the passage of a train over a rough road-bed.

Any suitable means may be employed for uncoupling a car from any point thereof, and such uncoupling mechanism is connected with the catch by a link 19, pivoted at its lower end to the rear end of the catch in a groove thereof and provided at its upper end with a suitable eye or yoke.

The invention has the following advan' tages: The car-coupling is simple, strong, and durable, and positively automatic in its operation. It is adapted to employ the ordinary form of link, and it is capable of coupling a pin-and-link car-coupling and of guiding a link into the mouth of a draw-head without necessitating a person going in between the cars. The pivot of the catch is not subjected to the strain incident to drawing a train of cars, and the catch is supported by the walls at the front and back of the longitudinal slot, and the strain exerted by the link operates to hold the catch against the said walls. The catch, which has a central draft, is adapted to cushion the drawhead against the blows of a link, and its particular arrangement and the weight of the rear portion prevent it from accidentally' releasing a link.

It is to be further observed that there is a distinct advantage for arranging the gravitycatch within the longitudinal slot and having the same extend the entire length of the slot, such advantage being that the catch acts in the capacity of a longitudinal brace to protect the draw-head from damage by impactblows, and by pivoting the said catch at its front upper corner within the slot the pulling strain incident to drawing a car operates to hold the catch in engagement with the link and prevents it from swinging backward and upward. Furthermore, while the rounded link-engaging nose at the lower front corner is out of contact with the draw-head, still the particular formation and arrangement of the catch provides means whereby the pulling strain is distributed on the front and rear end walls of the slot and on the bottom of the draw-head.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacricing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim isl. In a car-coupling, the draw-head provided in its upper side with a longitudinal slot having its rear wall extended into a vertical iiange projecting above the upper side of the draw-head, and a gravity-catch having a pivotal engagement with the draw-head at the front end of the slot and extending the entire length of the latter to form a longitudinal brace for the draw-head, said catch normally being disposed obliquely within the slot and provided with a link-engaging nose disposed out of contact with the bottom of the draw-head and with a straight vertical rear edge abutting flat against said liange extension, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, a draw-head havinga longitudinal slot in its upper side formed with a ilat vertical rear Wall, and an obliquelyarranged swinging catch provided at its front upper corner with a rounded pivot portion pivotally registering with a recess at the front end of the slot, said catch being :further provided with a straight inc-lined front edgeterminating at its lower end in arounded link-engaging nose disposed out of contact with the bottom of the draw-head, with a straight vertical rear edge abutting against the flat rear wall of the slot, and with a convexedly curved or swelled lower edge projecting within the draw-head over the inner end of the link for holding the latter in position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR L. HUMPHREY.

lVitnesses:

ELNAR P. BACH, JOHN F. Mone-AN. 

